Would a Computer Know if the World Were to End?
Philosophically, the question of whether computers can truly 'know' anything is a deep and complex one. However, if we consider the practical aspects of whether computer programs running on a computer could be designed to detect the end of the world, the answer gets intriguingly nuanced. The key lies in how we define 'the end of the world.'
Programmatic Detection of the End of the World
By a straightforward definition, if the world is destroyed by some great cataclysm, all computers, too, would be destroyed. This makes the question mute in such a scenario. However, there's another scenario where the answer might be no.
The Cataclysm Scenario
Consider an asteroid or a black hole. In such a situation, the end of our world might not mean the end of all life. There could be other planets or space ships that would record the end of our world. Nonetheless, the end of all worlds—where everything in the universe ceases to exist in an instant—presents a different challenge. This idea has been described by Dennis Overbye of The New York Times, who talks about the instability of a subatomic particle called the Higgs boson and a property called the Higgs field.
According to this theory, all atoms would dissolve at the speed of light. Nothing, not even the evidence of our existence, would vanish. This concept evokes a deep sense of existential horror, an instantaneous and infinite void, whether it happens now or a billion years from now. The idea is that it would be as if everything was just a dream.
How Computers ‘Know’ Anything
Even modern AI systems do not 'know' anything in the true sense. They are essentially pattern recognizers, learning and responding to input data. For instance, your bicycle doesn't 'know' which gear to change—it simply responds to the input from the lever. Similarly, computers do not 'know' anything. They merely execute tasks based on the instructions they are programmed to perform.
The Programming Basics
The initial input for a computer is a reset pulse or another signal generated by hardware when power is applied. The CPU then takes its instructions from memory. This means that computers only know what human programmers program them to know.
The End of Computer Functionality
What happens when the world ends? Human programmers would cease to exist, and eventually, the electrical grids would fail, causing the power to die out. As a result, the computers would also stop working. With no human intervention, the world would be plunged into darkness, and the computers would shut down.
Thus, while AI and computers are marvels of modern technology, they do not have the intrinsic capability to survive or respond in the face of a complete end of the world. Their functions rely on human input and the continuity of power, which breaks down in such catastrophic scenarios.
Conclusion
Our ability to design computer systems to detect and respond to the end of the world is limited by practical and philosophical constraints. While computers are powerful tools, they cannot know or respond beyond their programmed limitations. The end of the world would spell the end for technology as we know it, leaving us as mere observers of a great cosmic dream.